Three Months Gone
by LoveIsAzureBlue
Summary: Sweet story told from Beth and Daryl's POVs alternately. Takes place after the events in S4 (Still and Alone). Possible mild spoilers for what may be coming up in S5 (if you believe internet theory) so if you don't want any hints about who might have taken Beth, don't read! Rated M for later chapters. Reviews are appreciated. Disclaimer: Not my world, I'm just playing with it.
1. Chapter 1

**It had been three months**. Three months since she last saw him. Three months since she had been taken – no, saved (as she had to constantly remind herself) – by Father Gabriel as Walkers descended upon her. Three months. And while she knew she should be grateful - knew she probably would have never survived the horde of Walkers that invaded the funeral home and grounds that night had Father Gabriel not grabbed her and threw her in his car - a part of her wished he had left her there waiting for Daryl. It was the part of her that missed Daryl so much her heart actually ached when she thought about him and that last night together; the part of her that remembered what his rough and calloused hand felt like in hers as they stood in the graveyard the day they found the funeral home; the part of her that remembered the look in his eyes as he gazed at her by candlelight before everything went to shit that night.

Beth turned over in the little twin bed she was sleeping in. She and Father Gabriel had taken up refuge in an old plantation home on a tract of land in a town called Taccoa in Northern Georgia. Beth had given up hope of ever seeing Daryl again. After begging Father Gabriel to return to the funeral home the day after she and Daryl were separated, he relented. But all they found there were Walkers. There was no sign of Daryl, but no sign that he was dead either. And Beth knew he wasn't. She knew Daryl was alive. She had meant it when she told him he was meant for the way the world was now; that he would be the last man standing. She had no doubt he got out and that certainty gave her some comfort even in knowing that the odds of them finding each other again were non-existent.

Beth did her best to swallow the bitterness she felt toward Father Gabriel and remember that he had saved her life. They had been doing well on their own the last three months as well – scavenging for food in empty houses and grocery stores as well as hunting and gathering. Father Gabriel, as it turned out, was something of an expert when it came to identifying edible wild plants and mushrooms, as well as setting up snares to catch small prey. Beth helped by using the tracking skills Daryl had taught her to look for game tracks, as well as fresh Walker tracks so they could avoid any hordes. They made a good survival team. But it wasn't the same as when she was with Daryl. Father Gabriel was quite a bit older than Daryl, quiet and kind, but indifferent as well and after three months, Beth still felt like she barely knew him.

Beth heard her door creak open a touch and she closed her eyes, feigning sleep. She knew that Father Gabriel was an insomniac and he would often check on her when he was unable to sleep. She knew it was sweet of him to be concerned, but she could not help feel a tug of annoyance and she knew it was because she did not like being interrupted when she was thinking about Daryl.

When the door closed and she heard Gabriel's footsteps creak down the hall, Beth opened her eyes and sat up. She felt like crying. She was doing that a lot lately. She wondered what Daryl was doing, if he was alone or if he'd found another group. She wondered if he thought of her, missed her like she missed him.

Beth stifled a sob, buried her head in her knees and let her tears flow silently down her cheeks.

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**Daryl hated the night.** Not just because of the added danger of walkers creeping up on the group when they were trying to sleep, but because nights when he was on watch duty – like tonight – he could not keep his mind from drifting to memories of Beth.

Daryl sat stoically against the trunk of a tree, peering out into the darkness as Rick, Maggie, Glenn and the rest of the Terminus survivors slept in the makeshift camp around him. They had been heading North for the last couple of weeks, deciding that they would make a go for Washington D.C. Tonight, they were staying along the shores of Lake Keowee in South Carolina hoping the body of water would provide them some extra protection from Walkers sneaking up on them. It seemed to be working as the group had not had any encounters since they had made camp there earlier that day.

It was going to be a long journey to D.C. and Daryl doubted it would do any damn good anyway. Sure, Dr. P might have all this shit figured out, but what did it matter if there was no one to report it to? For all anyone knew, the President, Congress, everyone who once mattered to the country were dead, so what was the point of trekking hundreds of miles, putting themselves in harms way as they confronted hordes of walkers, when it could all be for nothin'?

Daryl sighed and spit on the ground next to him. He knew the real reason he was so bitter about the journey North – leaving Georgia. He knew that the closer they got to Washington, the farther he got from ever finding Beth again.

Daryl clutched his fists and ground his teeth to try to distract himself from the ache he felt in his chest whenever he thought of Beth – her radiant smile, her soft hands playing the piano, the way she could light up a room just by being in it with him. She had awaken something in him – something he had kept buried for most of his life - Happiness, hope… love.

Daryl swallowed the lump he felt forming in his throat and cursed at himself inwardly. No matter how much he tried, he couldn't stop himself from thinking about her, wondering where the hell she was and if she was ok. He prayed – actually prayed to God if God was actually out there – that whoever took Beth that night didn't hurt her. That whoever it was, was kind. The world was so damn ugly now, but there were still good people out there. Beth had convinced him of that. He just hoped that it was good people in that car that drove Beth out of his life that night. He knew it was his fault she had been taken; knew he had been stupid to just assume that it was that old mangy dog at the door before he opened it. It wasn't like him to let his guard down like that. But, the feelings that were stirring in him when he was with Beth just moments before it all went to shit threw him for a loop. He had wanted to kiss her; wanted to take her in his arms and hold her; wanted to bask in her warmth and forget that the world outside was cold and mean and dangerous. He had forgotten, for a few seconds, the reality of the world they lived in and because of that, he had opened the door and let that evil come spilling in. And, because of his stupidity, his carelessness, he lost Beth.

Daryl hastily wiped an errant tear off his cheek and looked around to make sure no one saw. He wondered if Beth had shed any tears over him – if she were still alive. He shook the thought out of his head. She had to be alive. That was the only thing keeping him going now – the fools hope that somehow, someway, he would see her again.

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**Beth heard a knock** at her bedroom door and heard it creak open.

"I'm sorry to wake you, but I thought we should try to get an early start today." Father Gabriel said. Beth nodded. They were going to drive further North today, cross into South Carolina in search of provisions and maybe some sort of survivor's refuge.

Beth sat up. Her head hurt and she was tired. She had been up most of the night crying.

"Are you alright, Beth?" Father Gabriel asked, kindly.

Beth nodded. She was sure she looked like hell – she could feel the puffiness in her eyes.

Father Gabriel looked doubtful but didn't press.

"Well, when you are able, please pack up your belongings and come downstairs and we will see about getting on the road." Father Gabriel said.

Beth nodded again. As soon as Father Gabriel closed the door, she laid back down in bed, put the pillow over her head, and went back to sleep.

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**"So what do you think?** One more night here so we can hunt up some game for the journey?" Rick asked Daryl and Abraham. They had been discussing plans for getting back on the road that day. But, their provisions were alarmingly low and they were in a location that was rich with natural resources – water, edible flora, and ample game to hunt.

Daryl nodded and Abraham reluctantly agreed.

"Only one more night though, Rick. We gotta get moving." Abraham said.

"I understand." Rick replied. Abraham nodded and departed.

Rick turned to Daryl.

"I'll go out huntin'. I should be able to get a couple of hares. If we cook 'em tonight and keep the meat dry, it'll keep for a couple of days." Daryl said. He picked up the crossbow at his feet and turned to leave.

"Hold up a sec." Rick said. Daryl turned back to Rick. "You took watch duty all night and I know you didn't sleep the night before that either 'cause Glenn told me is saw you sitting up all night when he was on watch duty."

Daryl shrugged.

"You look like hell, Daryl, and you need to get some rest."

Daryl shrugged again.

"I'll rest when I'm dead." He said darkly before walking away.

He knew Rick was right. He also knew that Rick didn't know just how little sleep he was actually getting. But every time Daryl slept, dreams of Beth haunted him. Sometimes they were good dreams – erotic dreams that would cause him to wake with an aching erection and he would have to sneak off into the woods to take care of himself. But, most nights, the dreams were bad. He'd dream of Beth taken and tortured by some faceless stranger, or he'd have terrible visions that he found her, but she had been turned to a walker, and he'd have to put a bolt through her head. Those dreams caused him to wake with a start, drenched in cold sweat, scared to fall back asleep. So he avoided sleep as much as he could, keeping awake by sitting against cold, jagged rocks, staring out into the darkness hoping something would come by that he could kill just so he could stop thinking about her for a little while.

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**Beth and Gabriel** sat in silence as he drove them North. This was common. They rarely spoke when they traveled.

They had been on the road for little more than a half hour and had only just passed into South Carolina when the right front tire suddenly blew on Father Gabriel's car. The automobile jerked to the left and Father Gabriel tried his best to right it, but the car veered out of control and ended up in a ditch on the side of the road.

"Are you alright?" Father Gabriel asked Beth shakily when the careening car finally came to a stop and he had cut the engine.

Beth exhaled in relief and took a quick inventory of her body. "Ye… yeah." She replied, panting a little.

Father Gabriel unholstered the pistol he always carried around his waist and opened his car door. Beth unsheathed her knife and did the same.

The car was lodged in a ditch about three feet deep, sunken into about a foot of mud. Beth could see right away that there was no way they would be able to get it out. She looked at Gabriel who was walking around the vehicle with a desperate expression on his face. In the distance, they heard groans. Beth looked and could see Walkers heading their direction, no doubt brought by the sound of the tire blowing and the subsequent crash. Beth gripped the hilt of her knife a little tighter.

"We gotta get out of here." She said urgently to Father Gabriel. Gabriel nodded and the two took off running to the North-East into the dense brush of the South Carolinian forest.

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**As Daryl had said,** he'd been able to hunt up some rabbits. He had killed four and a squirrel in just over two hours. He figured those, plus the edible plants they had been scavenging, would be enough to hold everyone over for few days as they traveled North. With any luck, they'd come across some grocery stores that hadn't been picked completely clean or overrun by walkers.

Daryl was tired. His bones ached. Rick was right – he needed rest. While he hated to close his eyes for fear that Beth would haunt his dreams, he hoped that if he were tired enough, he wouldn't dream at all. He was about a mile east of camp and knew that the walk back would probably be enough to push him to that point. So, he began a slow march back to the lake, his crossbow in his hands, loaded and ready to shoot at any moment should it be needed.

Daryl had been walking for about ten minutes, when he heard a strange rustling coming from the West. It didn't sound like walkers – it was too fast. But, whatever it was was big. Daryl immediately thought of deer or wild boar and what a treat it would be for everyone if he could bring a catch like that back to camp. Daryl slid behind a large tree and raised his crossbow. He could hear the rustling getting closer. He keened his ears toward the direction of the noise and put his finger on the trigger of his crossbow. Any moment, he would see the animal and he wasn't about to miss his opportunity to take it down. He exhaled slowly and waited.

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**Beth and Father Gabriel** ran until their legs ached and they could hardly breathe. When they could run no longer, they slowed their pace to a rapid walk. Beth knew they were making a lot of noise, crashing through the brush around them and she could only imagine what Daryl would say if he were there. Thinking of him, imagining his voice in her head, chastising her for making such a racket, made her smile a little. She slowed her pace even more to quiet her footsteps. She thought about calling out to Gabriel, who was still foraging ahead, but she decided to let him gain distance on her. She craved some solitude and she knew he would shout if he encountered any walkers.

Beth stopped for a minute and closed her eyes remembering the last time she had run through the woods, Walkers on her tail. It had been with Daryl. They had ran until they both collapsed, panting and exhausted, in a patch of grass, their heads only inches from each other's. Beth had thought Daryl was a jerk back then. She had yet to see the sweet, vulnerable side of him. She felt a pang of longing tug at her stomach at the thought. Not wanting to start crying again, Beth opened her eyes, and followed Gabriel's tracks forward.

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**When the tall black man** emerged from the brush, Daryl quickly slid back behind the tree and lowered his crossbow. He knew better than to trust any stranger out here right away and he had noticed that the man had a pistol in his hand.

Daryl heard the man breathing heavily, as if he had been running. That unnerved Daryl. There was only one thing anybody ever ran from anymore these days. And if this man had been running through the brush making all that noise, he knew walkers couldn't be far behind.

Daryl carefully turned his body so he could peek out from behind the tree and get a better view of the man. The man was tall and thin. He was wearing worn jeans and a dirty black collared shirt. His hair was cropped short and he had a thin mustache and beard. He did not look menacing but Daryl knew that looks could be deceiving.

The man turned toward the brush and shook his head a little. He seemed like he was waiting for something and his body language made Daryl think he was annoyed. Had he been traveling with someone and got separated? Keening his ears, Daryl heard a gentle rustle of soft footsteps coming from the direction the man had just come. He backed against the tree again. He didn't want to risk being seen – not yet – not until he knew just how many people he was dealing with. A second later, he heard the man's voice.

"Are you ok?" The man said to the person who Daryl assumed had just emerged from the wood.

"Yeah." Said a soft female voice. Daryl keened his ears. He heard the man sigh.

"We should make more of an effort to stay together. It isn't safe to be on our own in these times, as you know." The man said. His voice was calm and steady, but Daryl detected a hint of annoyance in it.

"Sorry. I just wanted to slow down a little. We were making a lot of noise running together."

Daryl froze and his eyes grew wide. He knew that voice - that sweet honey voice that had comforted him one night on the porch of a rundown shack; the voice that had convinced him there were still good people in the world; the voice that always had a song in it, even when she wasn't singin'.

Daryl peeked out from behind the tree, and his crossbow tumbled from his arms.

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**Beth and Father Gabriel** turned sharply at the sound of the fallen crossbow, the latter raising his pistol and Beth unsheathing her knife. Then, he emerged.

His hair was a little longer, his beard a little thicker, but his eyes were the exact same - those dark, intense, midnight eyes that caused her heart to stop as he stared at her in shock.

Beth's knife slid from her hand and she covered her mouth in shock, her eyes instantly welling with tears. She wondered if she were dreaming, if she was still back in that little twin bed in that big house she and Gabriel had spent the last two weeks in.

"Beth?" He said in a deep, gravelly voice full of awe. And Beth knew she was awake and that Daryl – her Daryl – was standing there before her.

"Oh my God!" Beth exclaimed, dropping her hands and she sprinted full speed into Daryl's arms.

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**"I don't believe it**… I don't believe it." Daryl kept repeating over and over as he held Beth in his arms. She was sobbing and he was trying very hard to keep the lump in his throat at bay. She looked the same – maybe a little thinner but her hair still shone like gold and she still smelled so sweet to him. Daryl pulled back a little so he could look at Beth's tear-streaked face. He put his hands on either side of her neck, leaned in and kissed her with abandon. Even though he had never kissed her before, it felt familiar, like her lips were meant for his.

When he finally broke the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers, closed his eyes, and drank in her closeness.

"Where the hell have you been, girl?" He whispered gravelly. Beth let out a small laugh and pulled back so she could look at Daryl's face.

"Lost… Without you I was lost." Beth said. Daryl smiled. He knew the feeling. He had been lost without her too.

He leaned in and kissed her again, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

The sound of a throat clearing a few feet away is what finally drew them apart.

"I'm sorry to interrupt…" The man said softly. "But would someone please tell me what is going on?"

Beth took Daryl's hand and led him over to the tall, thin black man who had apparently been her traveling companion.

"Daryl Dixon, this is Father Gabriel Stokes." She said.

The man held out a hand to Daryl, but Daryl did not take it.

"He the one that took ya?" Daryl asked Beth, not taking his eyes from this Father Gabriel.

"Yes… but, Daryl…" Beth started, but Daryl didn't hear anything after Beth's 'yes'. He grabbed the man by the shirt and backed him hard against the nearest tree.

"Daryl!" Beth exclaimed. Daryl looked the man in his dark eyes. He saw only fear in them.

"He hurt you?" He asked Beth, anger welling in him like lava.

"No! NO!" Beth cried. "Daryl, please! He thought he was helping me that night! There were walkers everywhere and I couldn't run 'cause of my ankle. He saw me and grabbed me so the walkers wouldn't get me!"

"She's telling the truth. I meant no harm!" Father Gabriel said shakily. Daryl loosened his grip on the man's shirt and backed away. He could feel Beth's hands on his arms, steadying him.

"She didn't tell ya I was in there too?" Daryl asked Father Gabriel, and for a moment, he felt a flash of anger at Beth.

"She did. In fact, she screamed for me to stop and go back but I refused. I'm sorry, son, but I thought for sure you were dead." Father Gabriel replied quietly.

"I made him go back the next morning." Beth said quickly, coming up besides Daryl and taking his hand again. "There was no sign of you though, only walkers everywhere. But I knew, Daryl, I knew you had gotten out."

Daryl let out a small sigh. "Jesus Beth… I spent the entire rest of the night chasin' that car."

"You did?" Beth asked and Daryl could hear surprise in her voice. Daryl put a hand on her cheek.

"I ran 'til I couldn't run no more." Daryl said. He felt like he had to justify himself to her – explain why he hadn't found her earlier. "Then I ended up with this group of thugs, and I found Rick and Michonne and Maggie…"

"Maggie! She's alive!?" Beth exclaimed. Daryl smiled and nodded.

"Where!? Do you know where?" Beth asked desperately.

"We got us a camp along the river, 'bout a mile to the East." Daryl said.

Just then, they heard groans coming from the bush and Daryl knew that Walkers were on their way – brought, no doubt, by the noise they were making.

"Shit…" Daryl said. "We gotta go."

He grabbed Beth's knife from the ground and handed it to her before taking her hand and grabbing his crossbow from the ground where it had been dropped. Hand in hand, they ran to the East, Father Gabriel following close behind.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: Still not my world but still having fun playing with it.

Chapter 2

Beth and Maggie held each other for a long time, both crying with happiness. Daryl watched from a short distance away where Rick and Father Gabriel were introducing themselves. A small smile still played on his lips for finding Beth. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so… happy.

Daryl watched as Maggie and Beth finally let go of each other and Beth made her rounds through the rest of the camp, hugging Glenn, Michonne, Sasha and Carl in turn, introducing herself to Abraham and Dr. P and Rosita and Tara. And all the time, Daryl watched her, waiting for the opportunity to take her in his arms again.

Spirits were light at the camp that afternoon and even the incoming rain storm didn't dampen the mood. The group sat around a small, contained fire and filled each other in on what had happened over the past three months. Beth sat next to Daryl, his arm around her waist, her head resting on his shoulder like it was the most natural thing in the world. If anyone was surprised by their newfound relationship, they didn't say anything. Daryl had told Maggie several weeks back when they first escaped Terminus that he had been with Beth. While he didn't go into details about the bond he and Beth had formed while together, Maggie did not seem surprised that Daryl and Beth had grown close. Daryl was relieved by that. He knew he was quite a few years older than Beth and wondered if Maggie would give him hell for having feelings toward her little sister. If Maggie was concerned, however, she didn't show it, but Daryl couldn't help wonder if it was just because she was so relieved to have Beth back that the idea of he and Beth being together hadn't sunk in yet. But Daryl told himself he'd cross that bridge if he came to it.

About an hour after night fall, after the group had shared the rabbits Daryl had brought back to camp, the temperature began to drop and the rain started to pick up. The group had three tents between them – a large six person sleeper, a smaller four person job, and a tiny backpacking tent that slept one comfortably and two in a pinch. Most nights, if the weather was fine, Glenn and Maggie took the four person sleeper and a few others would share the six person – the rest of the group sleeping out under the stars. The backpacking tent was usually only brought out during bad weather. Tonight was one of those nights.

Maggie, Glenn, Bob, Sasha, Dr. Porter and Gabriel agreed to take the big tent while Rick, Michonne, Tara and Carl claimed the other. Abraham was on watch that night and Rosita said she'd stay out with him. No one objected when Beth said she and Daryl would take the backpacking tent though Daryl thought he saw Maggie's eyebrows raise – in shock, or surprise, or disapproval he couldn't tell.

The rain was coming down hard by the time Daryl finished pitching the little tent (the other two tents were already erected from the previous night) and both he and Beth were soaked by the time he unzipped the door flap and the two climbed in together, bringing along with them their backpacks, a camp lantern, a down sleeping bag and a couple of wool blankets.

"Hmm, this reminds me of the night we spent in the trunk of that car." Beth said, crouching under the low ceiling in the claustrophobic tent. A crash of thunder sounded outside.

"Without the walkers…" Daryl interjected.

An awkward silence fell between them. This was the first opportunity Daryl and Beth had to be alone since they had found each other earlier that day - since he had kissed her.

Beth was looking around the tent distractedly. Daryl could tell she was nervous and it made him uncomfortable. He hoped that she didn't think anything was expected of her. While he could not deny to himself that he wanted her, he knew this wasn't the time or the place, and he didn't know if Beth wanted him anyway. As big an asshole as he was before the turn, he was never the type to force himself on a girl and always thought that guys who were should have their balls removed.

The rain was falling steadily on the tent making loud pitter patter sounds and Daryl and Beth looked at each other in the dim light of the camp lantern.

"We should probably get some sleep, it's been a long day." Daryl said to break the silence and to show Beth that he didn't have any ulterior motives that night. He grabbed one of the wool blankets and began spreading it out on the floor of the tent. Beth leaned over and removed her boots, then her wet sweater. Daryl remembered the last time he saw her she had been wearing a yellow golf shirt stained with dirt and walker blood. Now, she was wearing a relatively clean light blue blouse that, even in the dimness, Daryl could see brought out the cornflower blue of her eyes. He had almost forgotten how beautiful those eyes were. He watched as Beth removed her shirt, leaving her in a grey tank top and her wet jeans. She then dug around in her backpack and extracted a pair of sweat pants. Beth looked at Daryl.

"Um, do you mind?" She asked him.

"Oh…" Daryl turned his head so he was looking away from Beth, who obviously wanted some modicum of privacy while she changed. He listened to the wrestling of her removing her wet jeans and slipping on her sweats and he couldn't help wanting to glance over his shoulder at her.

Daryl swallowed hard and shook his head a little. He didn't want to be thinking about Beth like that, not here while they were spending the night together in a tiny backpacking tent where they would inevitably be crammed together for the night. When Beth said she was done, Daryl finished lying out the blankets, unzipped the down sleeping bag and laid it flat on top, then began removing his own shoes and wet jacket. His shirt was pretty wet so he removed that too, leaving him in his jeans and a dingy 'wife beater.' His jeans were soaked and he didn't have a change of pants but he was wearing boxers underneath. He looked at Beth.

"What?" She asked, noticing Daryl's gaze.

"Is it gonna make you feel weird if I sleep in my drawers tonight?" He asked, trying to sound casual.

He saw Beth swallow and her eyes widen a bit.

"I mean, it's just 'cause my jeans are so damn wet and I don't have a change of…"

"No! It's fine! Really, I don't mind at all." Beth said. Daryl nodded, then undid his belt. Beth was busying herself with the contents of her backpack, but Daryl was almost sure he saw her glance over at him when he pulled his jeans off. He, too, was trying not to look at Beth, who had taken her long, wet hair out of it's Ponytail and was now braiding it. He longed to reach out and touch it – run his fingers through it.

_Stop it_. He chastised himself inwardly.

Daryl pulled back the sleeping bag and crawled under, lying on his back. It was chilly, but the tight quarters and his own adrenaline warmed him.

After she had finished braiding her hair, Beth crawled under the sleeping bag next to Daryl. He expected her to lie on her back like him, or maybe on her side facing away. He didn't expect her to roll towards him.

Daryl turned his head and looked at her. She smiled at him.

"It's kind of a miracle, huh… all of us finding each other like this?" Beth said quietly.

"Yeah, I guess it kinda is." Daryl replied.

They were quiet for another minute, gazing at each other in the darkness.

"Thank you." Beth whispered after a spell.

Daryl looked at her puzzled.

"For what?" He asked.

"For looking for me… chasing me… not losing hope that we would find each other." Beth said. Daryl felt Beth find his hand and entwine her fingers with his.

"I couldn't give up hope. It was the only thing keepin' me going." Daryl replied honestly. Beth reached up with her free hand and caressed Daryl's cheek lightly.

"You're a good man, Daryl Dixon." She said. Then, she leaned forward and placed a light, tender kiss on Daryl's lips.

Beth rolled over the other direction and Daryl thought she had turned away to go to sleep. Instead, she scooted herself against him so he was spooning her. Daryl slid one arm under Beth's head and draped the other across her waist, relishing her closeness. Beth rested her head on Daryl's bicep and sighed.

Beth didn't speak anymore and neither did Daryl, but he drank in the feel of Beth in his arms, her slender body spooned against his, her damp hair tickling his chin. Daryl placed his lips on top of Beth's head and kissed her softly. He had not felt so at peace since the night before she had been taken.

Suddenly, the weight of the past few weeks and the lack of sleep slammed into him like a freight train and Daryl felt exhausted to his core. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He was asleep before his next breath.

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Despite her exhaustion, Beth lay awake in Daryl's arms for a long time after he had fallen asleep. She smiled softly as she listened to his slow, even breaths and stroked the strong bicep of the arm that lay over her. Everything about this felt right – sharing a bed with Daryl, spooning with him, falling asleep in his arms. She thought back to the night when she had been taken by Father Gabriel. She remembered the intense look in Daryl's eyes – the unspoken words that told her he had feelings for her – feelings that were more than friendly in nature. She had been caught off guard by that. Despite the fact that they had grown close in the preceding weeks, she thought that he saw her as more of an obligation to look after rather than a friend. She hadn't known what to say when the look in his eyes told her she was even more than that, so she had just said "oh." She had to wonder, if the walkers hadn't come, what would have happened between her and Daryl that night? Would he have kissed her? Would he have taken her in his arms and held her? Would he have carried her to one of the sparsely furnished rooms, laid her on a sofa and made love to her? Beth felt her face flush at the thought. She had never really thought of Daryl "that way" before the night they got drunk together in that rundown moonshiner's shack and, back then, she was sure her crush only went one way. But, Beth's feelings for Daryl continued to grow over the next few weeks as he taught her to track and hunt, and especially during those few days they spent together in the funeral parlor when they laughed together, and she sang for him.

Then, that night happened. That wonderful, terrible night when he had looked at her and she realized that her feelings did not just go one way. But before either could act, they were ripped from each other. Beth had thought about Daryl every day since then - dreamed about him in ways that made her wake feeling fevered and unsatisfied. And her feelings for him just grew stronger each day they were apart. Now, she was here in his arms, her dreams so close to becoming a reality… if she could just act on her desires.

Beth was a virgin. She was only 15 when the turn happened and even though she had a boyfriend, she was the good girl of the family. Maggie was always the one with the boyfriends hiding in the barn who she'd sneak off to see after she thought everyone was asleep. Beth had followed her once – watched as she stripped naked and she and some boy Beth didn't know got it on in the hay in the barn. Beth had been both disapproving and jealous of her older sister back then. As much as she felt that sexual ache all adolescents feel, she was determined to save herself – if not for marriage, at least until she were truly in love.

But that was before. Beth was a very different person from the goody two shoes she had been before the world went to shit. She knew that every single day in this world was both a gift and a gamble and she could not take any of it for granted. But sex was an unknown to her and she was sure Daryl had plenty of experience. Would he even want someone so… innocent?

Beth shook her head slightly and chastised herself for even thinking these thoughts. It wasn't like she and Daryl could do anything right now anyway. For one, he was asleep and she was not about to wake him! One of the first things she noticed about him when they found each other was how tired he looked. His eyes had such dark circles under them that he looked like he'd been fighting, and there was a slight slump to his shoulders. He needed rest and she would make sure he got it.

There were other things stopping her right now too, besides her fear. For one, they didn't have any sort of protection and, as much as she loved kids, getting knocked up was pretty much the worst idea in the world right now. She knew there was a way to figure out when she was "fertile". The "rhythm method" Maggie called it. Beth knew that was how Maggie and Glenn were keeping from getting pregnant. But Beth did not know exactly how that worked and knew better than to ask Maggie about it. For the first time in a while, she wished she had access to a computer and the internet.

Even if they had protection, she and Daryl were in a tiny tent that wasn't exactly soundproof. Maggie might be ok with how close Beth and Daryl had gotten as friends, but Beth suspected she would be less forgiving if she heard them going at it a few feet away. Beth chuckled a little at the thought and Daryl stirred, but did not wake up.

Beth tucked herself a little closer to Daryl and closed her eyes. She needed rest as well. There was tomorrow to think about all this. As far as she was concerned, she was never leaving Daryl's side again!

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Daryl woke as the sun was coming up over the tree line. He felt more rested than he could remember being in a really long time. He smiled softly and looked to his right. He and Beth had shifted positions in their sleep. He was now lying on his back and Beth on her stomach, her hand resting on his arm.

He hadn't dreamed of Beth that night for the first time in ages and he knew it was because he didn't need to – she was right there with him.

Daryl lay there looking at Beth for a while. She looked so young sleeping on her belly like that, her head resting on her free arm. Was it wrong that he found her so beautiful when she was, in fact, so much younger than he was? Beth was only 18 and Daryl was just shy of 33. Did things like age really matter in this fucked up world?

Beth moaned softly in her sleep bringing Daryl out of his reverie. He looked closer at Beth and realized she was dreaming – having a nightmare by the looks of it. Her brow kept furrowing and her mouth kept turning down to a frown. She moaned again, and this time it sounded almost like a sob. Daryl propped himself up on his arm, unsure if he should wake her or let it pass. He watched as her mouth opened and closed in a silent scream, and a single tear slipped from her eye and rolled down her nose. Daryl's heart clenched in his chest. He reached out and softly put a hand on Beth's shoulder.

Beth's eyes sprung open as a gasp escaped her throat. Her eyes were wide with fear as she sat up and began groping at her waist, apparently trying to reach her knife which she had removed before bed.

"Hey, hey…" Daryl said, reaching out and grabbing Beth by her arms to steady her.

Beth's wide eyes found Daryl's.

"It's ok, Beth. You were just havin' a nightmare." Daryl said.

Beth's eyes relaxed and she exhaled. She closed her eyes and shook her head.

"You ok?" Daryl asked.

"Yeah…" Beth replied, her voice shaky.

Daryl dropped his hands from her arms but kept his eyes on Beth. She was looking down and Daryl could tell she was trying to hide the fact that she was crying from him.

Daryl reached out and took Beth's chin in his hand, propping her face up. Tears were running down her cheeks. Beth's eyes met Daryl's and her face crumpled. She leaned over and put her arms around him and began to cry quietly.

Daryl held her tightly, one hand holding her head to his chest, the other pressed into her back.

"Must've been a bad one." He said.

"My Dad. I dreamed about my Dad, and the Governor and what he… he did." Beth said in a choked voice. Daryl felt his heart twist. He didn't know what to say, so he just let Beth cry against his chest, her tears soaking through his shirt.

A few minutes later, Beth pulled away and brushed the tears off her cheeks with the back of her hand.

"Sorry…" She said. "You must think I'm so stupid."

Daryl shook his head.

"Can't control dreams. And when they're bad like that… well… I understand." Daryl said. Beth smiled softly at him and Daryl felt his heart melt, the way it always did when she gave him that sweet, tender smile. He was about to reach out and take her in his arms again when he heard footsteps approaching the tent.

"Daryl? Beth? Ya up?" It was Rick's voice.

"Yeah." Daryl replied feeling a little annoyed at the interruption, but he leaned over and unzipped the door of the tent.

Rick knelt down so he was level with Daryl and Beth.

"Hey, sorry to get you guys up so early, but Abraham wants to get on the road sooner rather than later. There's a residential area a coupla miles to the North and we're gonna search as many of the houses as we can for supplies since we don't know when we are going to get another chance. Abraham thinks it's best if we stick to the back roads for a while. Hopefully we'll encounter less walkers and… unfriendly types that way." Rick said. Daryl nodded.

"We'll be ready to go in twenty." Daryl said. Rick nodded and stood while Daryl rezipped the door.

"Sounds like it's gonna be a long day." Beth said, stretching. Daryl nodded and watched her as she climbed out from under the sleeping bag and began reaching for her shoes.

"Hold up a sec." Daryl said. Beth stopped and looked at him.

"In case I don't get to do this again for a while…" Daryl said. He took Beth's face in his hands and placed his lips on hers. He kissed her gently, tenderly… at first. Then he felt Beth's arms slide around his neck and her tongue brush his lips ever so slightly. He instantly felt like an electric current charged through his body. His hands dropped to Beth's waist and he encircled her and pulled her to him so she ended up in his lap. His tongue was dancing with hers now and he could feel himself grow hard beneath her.

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Beth gasped softly when she felt Daryl's manhood pressing against her from his lap where she sat. She may have never been with a man, but she knew how the male anatomy worked and she knew that Daryl was aroused by her. And knowing that turned her on even more.

Beth allowed herself to become completely consumed by the moment. She didn't want to think, didn't want to analyze the consequences of her actions like she was the night before. She just wanted to be with Daryl; to give herself over to him completely; to be putty in his strong, calloused hands. She was following her desire, not her brain, when her hands dropped to the hem of his wife beater and she began to pull it up.

To her surprise, though, Daryl stopped her. His lips broke from hers and he laid his hands on hers to stop her from raising his shirt over his head.

"No, Beth." He said quietly, his voice strained. Beth furrowed her brow.

Daryl lifted Beth off his lap and turned away from her without a word. He reached over for his jeans and slid them on. Beth suddenly felt a wave of rejection wash over her. Maybe he thought she was too young and 'innocent' for him after all. Beth felt a lump rise in her throat, but she swallowed it down. She would not prove Daryl right by crying like a baby. She went to reach for her shoes again, determined to get out of the tent as soon as possible, before her emotions got the better of her and she could no longer hold back the tears. Daryl was breathing heavily beside her, looking down, grinding his teeth the way he did when he was upset or anxious.

"Hey…" Daryl said suddenly, grabbing Beth gently by the arm. She looked at him and saw a sort of desperation in his eyes. "It's not 'cause I don't… want…." Daryl said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Just… not here… not like this."

His eyes were boring into hers, pleading with her to understand, and Beth felt her face flush. She should have known – Daryl was so calloused and hard on the outside but underneath all that he was sweet, and kind and so very caring. He didn't want to make love to her in a cramped and smelly tent with a group of people just a few feet away outside. Beth smiled at him and leaned in to place a gentle kiss on his lips.

"Thank you." She whispered. Then she grabbed her shoes, and exited the tent before Daryl could see the tears that were forming in her eyes.

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Daryl exhaled slowly as Beth left the tent. Stopping her from giving herself over to him when she was so eager had been the hardest thing Daryl had done in a while. His erection still pressed against his jeans achingly. Dammit! Why was the world so fucked up now that he couldn't even make love to a beautiful young woman who was throwing herself at him?

Daryl's breath caught in his throat. _Make love_? He had never in his life used those words to describe having sex. He had never cared about anyone enough to "make love" to them. It was always just sex. Hell, sometimes it had been a downright screw. But Beth… he wanted her on a different level. She was not just some piece of tail to him. She was so much more than that. More than Daryl had even admitted to himself before those words crept into his mind.

Like a lightening bolt, the realization struck him… He was in love with her.

Daryl ground his teeth and listened to Beth greet Maggie and Glenn outside the tent. How the fuck had this happened? Why now? Why did he have to fall in love - for the first time in his life – now, when the world was batshit crazy and every single day was a fight for survival? Because the last thing Daryl wanted now was to lose Beth. He didn't think he could take it if he lost her. She was the one beautiful and good thing to him in this world. And he knew he was now going to spend every single day worrying about her because he knew that she could be gone in a blink of an eye.

Daryl felt the odd sensation of panic rising in him and for a split second, considered running. If he left, forged out by himself, his feelings for Beth couldn't get any stronger. He could just survive on his own - forget about her. That way, if something did happen to her, he wouldn't even know.

Daryl cursed at himself. Was he that much of a pussy, that he'd run away from the first person he ever loved because he was afraid? Fuck that! He might be a loser, but he refused to be that much of an asshole. No, he'd stay with Beth and would do everything he could to protect her – even sacrifice his life for hers if it came to that. These last couple of years, all he'd thought about was surviving. Now, there was someone else whose survival meant more to him than his own.

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Beth hoped that Maggie hadn't heard what had happened between her and Daryl a few minutes before. He was right to have stopped her. She definitely didn't want her first time to be rushed, with an audience listening in to boot.

Glenn was cutting up one of the hares from the night before for breakfast. Beth was surprised to also see a large pile of blueberries in the seat of one of the camp chairs.

"Where'd these come from?" Beth asked excitedly, picking one up and popping it in her mouth.

"There's a whole bunch of blueberry bushes around the lake. We're gonna gather up as many as we can before we leave the area. Might be a few days before we get a good meal again but the berries should help keep the hunger pains from gettin' too bad." Maggie said.

"Hey." Daryl said stoically, appearing at Beth's side. Beth picked up a handful of blueberries.

"Look!" She said, holding out her hand to Daryl. She picked up a blueberry and popped it in his mouth.

"Nice." He said. Beth saw Maggie furrow her brow but ignored it.

Glenn greeted Beth and Daryl and handed each of them a ration of rabbit meat. Beth sat down on the ground and Daryl knelt down beside her. She couldn't help but notice how he seemed to be deliberately keeping close to her.

Just then, a rattling of cans and groaning sound caught their attention. Two walkers had made their way through the forest and were stumbling into the camp's primitive alarm system. Daryl was up in a flash, his knife pulled, but Rick and Michonne had already dispatched the walkers before Daryl had even taken a step.

"Alright, we should get moving before more show up." Rick said to the group at large while he resheathed his knife. "Finish your breakfast, then get your stuff ready to go. We're out of here within the hour."

Daryl returned to Beth's side and picked up his portion of hare where he'd dropped it in the dirt.

Beth looked at him. It wasn't like Daryl to panic around walkers. He was usually so calm and collected in the face of the danger they posed.

"Just makin' sure everyone… stays safe." Daryl said meeting Beth's gaze and answering her unspoken question. But something in his voice made Beth suspect the only person Daryl was really concerned about keeping safe was her.

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Daryl finished his hare quickly, feeling foolish for his overreaction. He shook it off as best he could, then went over to the tent he and Beth had spent the night in and began breaking it down. Beth joined him when she had finished, grabbed her jeans and changed behind one of the nearby trees. After, she helped roll up the blankets they'd slept on and stashed them in the various packs the group were carrying. They were going to try to find a car today but for now, the group would be walking into the residential area that was a couple of miles up the road.

The journey was fairly easy with only a few encounters with walkers. Fortunately, there were no hordes. The largest group of dead that came upon them was about a dozen strong and easily taken down by Rick's crew. Daryl had stuck close to Beth, trying to shield her from the action as much as possible but she readily took down two walkers with her knife.

It only took about two hours of walking before the group made it into the residential area of the town. The area had once been well to do so the houses here were literal mansions - several thousand square feet and at least three stories each. They had obviously been looted over the past few years. Windows and doors were broken on most of the houses and gunshot holes dotted many of the façades. Still, the group knew it was worth exploring as many as possible to see what, if anything, was left behind.

"Alright, let's do this smart. Me, Carl, Michonne, Abraham, Rosita and Eugene will take the East side of the street. Glenn, Maggie, Tara, Daryl, Beth, Sasha and Bob take the West side. Go house to house. Look for medical supplies, weapons, food, and anything else that you think will come in useful. And try to find a car or, better yet, a big van or RV. If you guys get into trouble, fire two shots and we'll come running." Everyone nodded.

"There's at least a dozen houses on either side of the street. It's probably going to take most of the day to complete our search." Bob said.

Rick nodded.

"Let's meet at the end of the block when the sun is starting to dip behind the roof line. We'll take inventory and figure out where to hunker down."

Just then, they heard groans. Walkers were beginning to emerge, brought on by the noise. Everyone grabbed their weapons.

"Alright – let's get goin'. Everyone be safe. Make sure to sweep the houses for walkers before you even begin searching for supplies." Rick said.

Rick and his group set off for the East side of the street while Daryl and his crew went west. He fired a bolt into the head of an approaching walker as they walked up the pathway to the first house. There were a few walkers milling around the property and were taken down by Sasha, Bob and Tara. Daryl looked at Beth, then pounded loudly on the door to bring out any occupants – living or dead.

After a few minutes of no movement, Daryl turned to the group.

"Alright, I'm gonna take point and go in first. Beth, Glenn, Maggie, we're gonna go left. Bob, Sasha, Tara, you guys go right. Let's sweep the bottom floor first and then we'll work our way up together."

Everyone nodded in assent and raised their weapons. Daryl looked at Beth one more time. He wanted to tell her to be careful, but he swallowed the urge and instead turned the doorknob.

Not surprisingly, the door was unlocked. Inside, the mansion was a mess, turned over by looters no doubt. Following Daryl's instruction, Beth, Glenn and Maggie followed him left while Tara, Bob and Sasha went right. They met nothing on the first floor so made their way to the second, then third. No walkers were on the property, though there were signs that they had once been there – copious amounts of blood remained on the floors and splattered on the walls.

Once all the floors had been cleared, the group decided it would be best to break up and search individually. There was a lot of ground to cover and it made no sense to search each room together when there was no sign of danger. Bob and Sasha said they'd take the first floor, Tara, Maggie and Glenn the second, and Daryl and Beth the third. Beth and Daryl climbed the stairs.

"Well, you want to start on that end and I'll start on this one?" Beth asked Daryl looking up and down the hall.

"I guess so." Daryl agreed. Beth began walking toward the room at the far end of the hall.

"Hey…" He called. Beth turned back and looked at him. "Be careful." Daryl said.

Beth gave him a small smile and nodded her head.

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Beth was still smiling when she entered the first room, flashlight in hand. She knew Daryl was being unnecessarily overprotective. If there had been walkers in the house, they would know by now. Still, Beth looked around the room one more time just to make sure before she began searching for supplies.

The room she was in looked like it had belonged to a teenage boy. It was painted a dark blue and posters of half naked girls sprawled out on the hoods of various sports cars adorned the walls. The room had obviously been turned over a few times before and Beth doubted she'd find much of anything of use. But, she started in the closet. There was a holey gym bag in the corner that she took, and a few relatively clean t-shirts balled up on the floor that she grabbed and shoved in the bag. There wasn't anything else of use in the closet so she continued looking through the rest of the room.

The dresser had been emptied, as had the nightstand. Beth looked under the bed and found nothing but dust bunnies and various useless detritious. She was about to give up and go to another room when she looked at the bed. It was bare of sheets and blankets, but the mattress looked untouched. Knowing that her brother used to hide issues of Playboy and the occasional joint between his mattress and boxspring, Beth decided to look. Hell, if she found some weed, they could use it for medicinal purposes and anything made with paper burned so she'd welcome a magazine.

Beth reached down and pulled up the mattress. As she suspected, there was a small stash of dirty magazines. She chuckled and picked them up, imagining what Rick and Daryl would say when she presented her find. She was about to shove them in her bag when something else caught her eye - a small paper bag. Beth lifted it and poured the contents on the bed. A small silver box fell out with the word "Trojan" printed on it. Beth's eyes grew wide. Condoms.

Beth heard footsteps approaching down the hall and hastily shoved the box in her bag.

"Find anything?" Daryl asked entering the room.

Beth turned around and held up the magazines.

"Some quality reading material." She joked, hoping Daryl would just attribute her flushed face to finding the dirty magazines. To her relief, Daryl chuckled and took the stack from her.

"Well, I guess we could give 'em to Carl… teach him a few things." Daryl teased.

"I was thinking more along the lines of fire tinder." Beth said, rolling her eyes and taking the magazines back from Daryl.

"Yeah, I suppose that works too." Daryl said.

Beth laughed.

"Well if this room and the room I searched are any indication, this floor's been all picked over. Nothing of use. I think it best if we move on."

Beth agreed.

The rest of the houses yielded little more than the first, but they did find some dented cans of food and boxes of stale cereal, two backpacks and another gym bag, some towels and linens, soap, aspirin, and other odds and ends that could come in useful. They encountered several walkers throughout the day, but took them down before they posed any real threat. The only close call was when Sasha opened a kitchen pantry and a walker emerged and fell on top of her. Luckily, Maggie was close by and put a knife through the walker's head.

They searched the last house just as the sun started to dip below the rooftops, then went outside to meet Rick and his group. They were surprised when only Rick showed up. He was smiling.

"What's up?" Daryl asked.

"We found the honeypot." Rick said. "C'mon."

Rick led Daryl's group to a house in the middle of the block on the opposite side of the street. Beth hadn't noticed this house before but now that she was looking closely, she could see it looked like it had less damage than the others. The windows were also boarded up. A dead walker lay on the porch, but it looked "fresher" than others they had encountered that day. It's clothes were relatively clean and it didn't have the decayed look the older ones had.

"What is this place?" Beth asked, stepping over the walker and into the house. Inside, it was completely different than the rest of the houses they'd searched that day. It hadn't been looted. It wasn't clean by any stretch, but it was far more orderly.

"That walker… the one on the patio… we think he was livin' in this place and died within the few days" Rick said.

"Died of what?" Maggie asked.

"He had a bite… on his arm. Our guess is he got bit, then came back here, turned, and has been in here since we found him today." Rick said.

"Well, that sucks." Glenn said matter of factly.

"Well, yeah, but it's good for us. Come here…" Rick said. He led the group into the kitchen.

"Whoa!" Beth exclaimed.

Food! Piles and piles of canned goods, boxed goods, bottled water, pasta, even wine sat on the shelves in the open pantries. Abraham, Rosita, Carl, Michonne and Eugene were sitting around the huge kitchen table, eating with gusto.

Rick looked at the stunned faces of Daryl's group and laughed.

"Well, go on, dig in. There's plenty." He said smiling.

Beth was the first to spring forward, grabbing a box of Cinnamon Toast Crunch and a can of peaches from the pantry closest to her. She sat down next to Michonne, who handed her a Swiss army can opener. Daryl sat down across from her with a can of tuna. She smiled as she ripped open the box of cereal and begin shoving it in her mouth with abandon.

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For the next two hours, the group ate (Maggie cooked up a package of pasta for everyone) and laughed and drank wine and reminisced about the good times before the turn. Daryl sat and listened but didn't share any stories of his own. He didn't have many good stories about his past. But he liked listening to everyone – to Maggie and Beth who regaled them with stories about hilarious fights they'd had while growing up, Glenn telling them about the weirdest things he'd seen delivering pizzas in his old life, Abraham talking about military pranks he'd been a part of when he served in Iraq. At one point, they all went exploring together and claimed rooms for the night. There were plenty. The mansion was four stories. In all, they counted fourteen bedrooms, sixteen bathrooms, a game room, a library, a theater room, and a home office. Beth picked a room on the second floor that she liked because it had a large four poster canopied bed and pictures of butterflies on the wall. Daryl didn't claim a room. When Bob asked him where he was planning on sleeping, Daryl just shrugged and said he'd rather sleep on the couch. If he was being honest with himself, he was hoping he would share Beth's bed that night. He just wanted to hold her again like he had the night before; bask in her closeness and warmth.

After the group had explored and picked their rooms, they moved to the massive living room and started a fire in the immaculate fireplace. Beth curled up on the sofa next to Daryl and entwined her hand with his. It was raining again – hard – which erased any chance of moving on that night. But no one, not even Abraham, was arguing for continuing on their journey that night anyway. For the first time in a long time, it almost felt like the world was ok again. Daryl felt more relaxed than he had in a really, really long time.

Glenn and Maggie were the first to retire that night. They had been getting more and more affectionate under the influence of the wine and Daryl was sure that their early bedtime had nothing to do with being sleepy. Maggie kissed Beth goodnight and she and Glenn walked hand in hand up the stairs to their fourth floor apartment. Abraham let out a wolf whistle as they went and everyone started laughing. Daryl saw Beth blush, but she was smiling as she watched her sister climb the stairs. She looked at Daryl and he saw a quiet longing in her eyes. He longed to lean over and kiss her, but there was an audience and he wasn't one for public displays of affection. Plus, he didn't want to have to answer questions.

One by one, the groups went off to bed. Eugene followed Glenn and Maggie's departure, then Sasha and Bob. Soon after, Michonne bid them goodnight, then Carl, then Abraham and Rosita, Tara, then finally Rick.

When Beth and Daryl were the only ones awake, Daryl was finally able to put his arms around Beth. Beth leaned her head against Daryl's chest while he encircled her. They didn't speak for a while, just watched the flames in the fireplace as they danced across the wood pieces.

"What do you miss most about the world before the turn?" Beth asked quietly after a spell of silence.

Daryl thought for a minute. There wasn't much in his old life that had given him happiness. He missed Merle, but recognized him for what he was – a racist, drug addict, asshole. He missed hunting and camping without having to worry about walkers.

But there was one luxury in his old life he truly missed.

"My Harley." Daryl said. Beth tilted her head and looked up at him, a small smile on her face. "Oh yeah… there ain't nothing like a Harley Davidson. I worked odd jobs and saved for two years for my first chopper – a 1984 FXST Softail. Damn I miss that bike." Daryl said.

"What happened to it?" Beth asked.

Daryl shrugged.

"When the turn happened, everything was chaos. One of Merle's asshole dealers took it from me at gunpoint." Daryl said bitterly. "Never saw the bike or the dealer again."

"That sucks." Beth said.

"Yeah, well, that's life." Daryl replied.

They were quiet for a few more minutes before Daryl spoke.

"What about you?" He asked.

Beth looked over at the fireplace thoughtfully.

"Chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream." She answered. She looked at Daryl and started laughing. He chuckled too, tilted his head down and kissed her.

They stayed in each other's arms for several more minutes, not talking, just… being. As the flames in the fireplace died down and became embers, Beth yawned.

"It's late. We should go to bed." Beth said.

"Yeah." Daryl said. He didn't want to ask Beth if he could sleep with her that night. He didn't want her to think he was expecting anything of her. Because he really wasn't. Did he want her? Hell yes. But, more than that, he honestly just wanted to be next to her again – fall asleep with her in his arms.

Beth got up, stretched, and began walking toward the stairs. When she was three up, she turned around and looked at Daryl.

"Comin?" She asked. Daryl smiled slightly, got up, and followed Beth to her second story bedroom.

**A/N - What can I say? I was inspired to continue and actually have another chapter in my head (the next one will definitely be rated 'M'). Thanks for reading! Reviews and _constructive_ criticism are welcome! **


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Still not my world or characters – just playing with them.

**A/N: Warning – smutty goodness ahead! Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

Beth was the first to wake the next morning. She had slept as hard as a rock in the soft bed, Daryl's arms around her most of the night, and was not plagued by nightmares at all. A full belly, a comfortable bed, and a man she was falling in love with – it was almost like the world was normal again.

Daryl was lying on his back, snoring softly. Beth smiled and scooted closer to him. She gently laid her head on his chest and listened to his slow, rhythmic heartbeat through his dirty, blood-stained wife beater.

It was early – she could tell by the orange light coming in through the windows, but she could hear people moving about in the mansion. Beth closed her eyes, hoping to grab a few more winks, when she heard something she had not heard for a very, very long time. It was the distinct sound of water running through pipes - like when someone took a shower in an adjoining room at a hotel. Beth raised her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. Carefully so as not to wake Daryl, she extracted herself from the bed and walked to the adjoining bathroom. She approached the shower and turned the knob all the way to hot. To her surprise, steaming water began pouring out of the spigot. Beth gasped.

"What's goin' on?" Daryl asked groggily, suddenly appearing behind her. He looked at the shower as if he had never seen one before.

"Is that hot water?" He asked obviously just as surprised as Beth. Beth smiled.

"A hot shower! When was the last time you had a hot shower?" She said, unable to hide the excitement in her voice. Daryl just shook his head in disbelief.

Daryl chuckled gruffly. As if reading Beth's mind he said, "Go ahead. I'm gonna go down stairs and see who's up. Save me some hot water, huh?"

Beth didn't even wait until Daryl had closed the bathroom door before she peeled off her clothes and stepped into the steaming water.

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Daryl slid on his filthy jeans (he wondered if he might be able to find a change of clothes somewhere in this huge house) and stood in the bedroom for a minute listening to Beth laugh and sing in the bathroom. Daryl had to admit that he was also looking forward to stripping down and taking a real shower for the first time in ages. He'd give Beth some time though. He wasn't gonna rush her through this small luxury she may not have again for a long while.

Daryl exited the bedroom and walked toward the stairs. He heard a couple of voices coming from the kitchen. Maggie, Glenn, Dr. Porter and Tara were there, grabbing assorted food items from the pantries.

"Hey look! Eggs!" Tara said, raising a container of powdered egg product. Maggie laughed and took the container from her. Daryl noticed Maggie's hair was wet and she looked much cleaner than anyone else in that kitchen.

"You the one that discovered the hot water?" Daryl asked. Maggie looked up.

"Mornin.'" She greeted. "Actually it was Dr. P. The owner of this place obviously knew what he was doing. Eugene just needed to light the pilot lights on the water heaters and, wah-lah, hot running water!" Maggie said pulling a huge skillet and mixing bowl out from one of the cupboards.

"Hey Daryl, here…" Glenn said tossing Daryl a bundle of clothes. "Found these and they looked like they would probably fit you."

Daryl held up a pair of black jeans and a plaid flannel shirt. They weren't exactly his style, but they were clean.

"Thanks, man." Daryl said.

Maggie looked up from the bowl where she was mixing the powdered eggs with water. "Beth still sleepin?" She asked, and Daryl thought he heard an accusatory note in her voice. He shook his head.

"Showerin'" Daryl replied.

"And you're not with her?" Tara asked teasingly.

Everyone in the kitchen stopped what they were doing and looked at Tara. No one laughed.

Tara's face flushed scarlet. "Ummm… I thought I'd go look around the rooms for some more clean clothes for everyone." She said quickly, obviously trying to change the subject.

"That's a good idea." Glenn replied. "Eugene and I will help you."

Glenn kissed Maggie on the cheek and Daryl saw her exchange a look with him. Then Dr. P, Tara and Glenn exited the kitchen leaving Maggie and Daryl alone.

Daryl took a seat at the table. He was rattled a little by Tara's offhand jest - because a part of him wished he were in that shower with Beth, doing everything with her but showering. Daryl shook his head a little. He shouldn't be thinking these thoughts – especially not with Beth's big sister right there.

"You need help or anything?" He asked Maggie who had leaned down to light the stove. When she was done, she stood up straight and looked at Daryl.

"What the hell is going on between you and my little sister?" She asked without preamble.

Daryl expected this at some point, but the question still caught him off guard, especially because he didn't know how to answer her. What _should_ he say to Maggie? That he was in love with Beth? That he cared about her more than any other person in the world? Was it right for him to tell Maggie these things before he even said these words to the one he was speaking of?

Daryl met Maggie's stern gaze.

"We… got close when we were on the run together. 'S all." Daryl said evasively.

"Close?" Maggie said. "You've spent the last two nights together."

"Mm hm." Daryl said not liking the direction the conversation was heading.

"Ok look, I gotta ask and I hope you'll be honest with me, Daryl. Are you sleeping with her?" Maggie asked.

Daryl hesitated only a moment. "No." He said, making sure to look Maggie in the eyes when he replied so she knew he was telling the truth. Because he knew when Maggie said "sleep" she wasn't referring to what Daryl and Beth had actually been doing the past two nights – which was literally sleeping together.

Maggie exhaled slowly.

"But, you might… at some point? Right?" Maggie said knowingly, her eyebrows raised. Daryl didn't answer. He wouldn't lie to Maggie.

Maggie closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them again, they were surprisingly soft.

"Please don't hurt her." Maggie said quietly. "You know how young…how innocent she is and she's been through so much – losing our mom, brother, two boyfriends, then daddy. She deserves happiness – someone she can feel safe with, who'll protect her and not hurt her. Someone who really cares about her. " Maggie said pointedly.

Daryl stood up and walked over so he was directly in front of Maggie.

"I'd never do nothin' to hurt her. And I promise you that I'll do everything I can to keep her safe." Daryl said. He couldn't bring himself to tell Maggie that he was in love with Beth. Beth needed to hear those words from him first.

Maggie gave him a small smile and nodded her head. She turned back to the stove and poured the egg mix onto the now hot skillet. "Would you please bring Beth that pile of clothes on the table there? I found them for her last night."

"Sure…" Daryl said. He picked up the pile of clothes for Beth and the clothes Glenn had found for him and turned toward the stairs.

"Hey Daryl…" Maggie called. Daryl turned around. "If you _do _hurt her… I will end you." She said simply. She said it calmly, but Daryl could see the sincerity in her eyes. He nodded his head once in understanding.

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Beth had taken a longer shower then she intended, but she couldn't help it. She had forgotten how amazing a hot shower with flowery shampoo and moisturizing soap felt. Beth had scrubbed her skin nearly raw with a loofa she'd found. It had been ages since she felt so clean.

Beth finally turned off the water with a contented sigh and grabbed a towel from the rack. The towel was soft and plush - a light lavender color and monogrammed with a W (she assumed the initial of the mansion's owner). If she closed her eyes and allowed herself, she could easily imagine she was in a luxury hotel.

Beth cracked open the bathroom door and peered into the room. Daryl was no where to be seen, so Beth wrapped the towel around herself and exited the bathroom, a cloud of steam following her. She knew she didn't have any clean clothes, but she was determined not to put back on the grimy clothes she had been wearing the past too many days in a row.

Beth knelt by her bag and began rooting through the contents, looking for some article of clothing that didn't smell like decay, or wasn't stained with walker blood. As she was digging, a silver box caught her eye. She had forgotten about the condoms she had shoved in there the day before.

Beth picked up the box and looked at it. She wondered if she should tell Daryl that she had them – what his reaction would be if he knew. Would he still be reluctant to sleep with her or would he take her right there? Beth smiled a little at the thought, fantasizing about Daryl sweeping her up in his arms al la Gone with the Wind, carrying her up the Mansion's staircase and claiming her in a vast, opulent bedroom. She chuckled to herself. Daryl could be charming in his way, but he was definitely no Rhett Butler.

Beth looked around the room. There were nightstands on either side of the bed. Beth walked over to the one nearest the side she'd slept on last night and placed the condoms in the drawer. She didn't know exactly what was going to happen between her and Daryl, but at least she was prepared.

There was a soft knock at the door.

"Hey, Beth?" Daryl's voice called.

Beth closed the nightstand drawer and wrapped the towel around herself a little more tightly before she walked over to the door and opened it a crack.

"Got some clean clothes for you from Maggie." Daryl said.

"Oh awesome!" Beth exclaimed. She opened the door a little wider and took the clothes from Daryl's outstretched hand. "Thanks!" She said.

"Yeah." He replied. Beth looked up from the clothes and noticed that Daryl was looking at her, his eyes roving her scantily clad body. She blushed.

Daryl hastily averted his eyes and stepped back from the door.

"Did you… did you wanna come in? Take a shower? The water's still hot." Beth said, opening the door a little wider. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest. She had never been this naked in front of anyone outside her own family.

She watched Daryl shuffle his feet a little.

"Yeah, ok." He said. Beth stepped aside to let Daryl in the room.

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Daryl tried to keep from getting too near Beth when he entered the room and kept his eyes averted. She smelled so good – flowery and sweet - and looked so Goddamn sexy wrapped in a lavender colored towel, her long hair hanging wet and wavy around her shoulders. He dropped the pile of clothes Glenn had given him on a chest at the foot of the bed, walked to the bathroom and hovered in the doorway. He turned around and his eyes met Beth's.

Daryl held her gaze for a long minute, before he allowed his eyes to rove her body once more before meeting hers again. He wanted to tell her… wanted to say those three words that he'd never before uttered to another person. He opened his mouth ever so slightly. Beth took a step toward him.

"What is it?" She asked in a quiet, curious voice.

Daryl took a deep breath. "You're beautiful 's all." He said. Then he turned and entered the bathroom, shutting the door behind him.

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Beth let out her breath. She hadn't even realized she was holding it. Daryl looked at her the same way he had that last night at the funeral parlor – same intense, longing gaze that said more to her than any words could. He cared about her. And, he wanted her. She knew that by the way he looked at her when he told her she was beautiful just then, and the way he held her in his arms every night as they fell asleep, the way he grew hard under her when he pulled her into his lap that morning in the tent. Beth's breath caught in her throat when she thought about that and a deep yearning filled her. There had been many reasons why that morning in the tent wasn't right. But those reasons were gone now. They were in a safe place - clean and comfortable. They had protection (though Daryl didn't know it yet). And, they had privacy.

Beth swallowed her nerves. She knew what she wanted and knew that there was unlikely to be any better time then the present. She walked over to the nightstand, extracted a wrapped condom from the box, and set it on top of the nightstand. Then, she sat down on the bed, still wrapped in only the plush towel, and waited.

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Daryl turned the shower as hot as he could take. Hot showers were few and far between for him even before the turn so he was not going to take this for granted. He scrubbed his hair and skin with a bar of soap and watched the brown water from his skin run down the drain.

While he showered, Daryl thought about Beth – about his growing feelings for her and how foreign they were. He'd been attracted to women before, sure, but never at Beth's level. His attraction to her wasn't just physical. She was beautiful to him in body and spirit and soul.

So what was stopping him – stopping him from telling her how he felt about her, about expressing it physically? Was it because it was all just so foreign to him? He didn't know how to be that romantic, prince-charming type. Hell, he didn't really want to be. But, maybe that wasn't what Beth wanted anyway. She seemed to be attracted to him too and he had been a complete dick to her on more than one occasion. But she had seen past that part of him and accepted him for who he was.

Daryl turned the water off and stepped out of the shower. He grabbed the other towel off the rack and wrapped it around his waist. He felt conflicted and unsatisfied. He was nursing a partial erection and cursed at himself for not taking care of it in the shower. But, he knew Beth was probably changing in the adjoining room and felt skeevy doing that while she was so nearby. He ground his teeth in frustration, shook his head, and opened the bathroom door.

Beth was there, sitting on the edge of the bed facing the bathroom, the towel still wrapped around her.

"Beth?" Daryl said questioningly.

Beth stood up, took a step toward Daryl...and let her towel drop to the floor.

Daryl's breath caught in his throat as his eyes drank in her beautiful nude body thirstily. She was quite possibly the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Her body was thin, her skin pale and unblemished like porcelain. Daryl could feel his erection at full attention now. He swallowed hard.

Beth took another step toward him so she was directly in front of him, only inches away. He could practically feel the heat radiating from her body. She placed a soft, trembling hand on his chest and pressed her soft lips to his.

Daryl felt his resolve crumble. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him. His lips crushed against hers and his tongue parted her lips. He moaned into her mouth as her hands dropped to the towel and pulled it from his waist. She was pressed full against him now, her flesh melding with his. He could feel her trembling, whether from nerves or anticipation he didn't know. He pulled her lips from his and looked her in the eyes. She smiled a sure, confident smile, so he wrapped his arms around her tighter, picked her off her feet and backed her over to the bed.

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Beth was quivering from head to toe, her body aflame with desire and nerves as Daryl laid her gently on the bed. She didn't know what to do, but she knew Daryl would, so she allowed herself to be putty in his strong hands.

Daryl's lips broke from hers and dropped to her throat. She felt his tongue stroke the divot at the base of her neck and she moaned softly and whispered Daryl's name. His lips were drifting lower now – to her breasts where he kissed and licked and teased. Beth arched her back in ecstasy, panting as Daryl continued to kiss lower and lower on her body…

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Daryl explored Beth's body with his lips and hands and tongue. He wanted to feel all of her - know all of her. His lips continued south to her soft mound. He felt Beth's hands thread in his hair, and he dropped his tongue to the warm wet place between her thighs. Beth gasped and Daryl glanced up at her, a smile in his eyes. She was writhing with pleasure as he drank her in, licking gently at the bead of her womanhood. She moaned his name over and over as he pleasured her and his own arousal grew. His manhood throbbed between his legs, begging for relief.

Daryl kissed his way back up Beth's torso to her lips, which she licked seductively. He wanted her, needed her like a thirsty man needs water. He couldn't bring himself to care that they didn't have protection and there might be consequences. Then, Beth reached over and grabbed something off the nightstand. A blush on her cheeks, she handed Daryl the small square packet.

His eyes widened a little in surprise, but he didn't hesitate. He ripped open the wrapper and sheathed his member. Beth looked away modestly and Daryl wondered if she'd ever even seen a man's naked body up close before.

Suddenly, the full weight of what was about to happen struck him. He wanted Beth - more than anything - but he knew she was a virgin and that scared him a little. She was innocent, probably even more innocent that he knew, and he wondered if this was right.

Daryl turned back to Beth and noticed she was still trembling slightly. He leaned over and kissed her lips. She kissed him back eagerly, threading her fingers in his still wet hair again and pulling him down atop her. If she had any reservations or doubts, she certainly wasn't showing it.

Daryl lay atop her, his manhood at her wet opening begging – aching – for entrance. He pulled his lips from hers and looked in her eyes.

"You sure?" He asked in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

She smiled and nodded, and her eyes were sincere. Daryl nodded too, pressed his lips to hers, and slowly guided himself into her.

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Beth gasped as the pain of losing her flower ripped through her. Daryl looked at her, his eyes filled with concern.

"You ok?" He asked. Beth let out a breath and nodded. She was ok. This was exactly what she wanted. The pain just caught her off guard. She smiled softly at Daryl and stroked his cheek.

"I'm ok." She whispered and she hooked her legs around Daryl's so he'd know she was being honest and she wanted to continue.

Daryl began moving in her then, slowly, his eyes locked on hers. At first, there was pain, and she wondered if she were doing something wrong. She knew the first time was supposed to be a little painful, but was it supposed to feel so awkward? She tried to relax and breath and let Daryl show her what to do. And, soon, the pain started to give way to pleasure as her body adjusted to Daryl's girth and motion. She found that the more she relaxed and gave herself over to the moment, the better it felt. Soon, she was biting her lip, her eyes squeezed shut in bliss as Daryl increased his pace, moaning against her mouth and neck. Daryl's hand grabbed Beth's leg behind the knee and he hitched it on his hip, deepening into her. Beth could feel a heat building in her – a foreign, intense, indescribable heat that was screaming to break free. Her body began to shudder and she dug her nails into Daryl's back as the heat grew and grew until finally, with a cry of ecstasy, it exploded from her and her body quaked under the force of her first orgasm.

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Daryl held Beth tightly as her body quivered and tightened around him. Bringing her to climax pushed him to the edge. As Beth panted and shuddered under him, he let go, and as he did, those three words he had been so scared to say passed from his lips of their own accord in a deep, guttural moan.

Spent, he collapsed atop her, his head resting against her breast. Her arms and legs were still wrapped around him. He knew what he had said, and had no regrets. But he did not know how Beth was going to react or if she had even heard.

Daryl lifted his head and his eyes met Beth's. They were wide and filled with tears.

"Did you mean that?" She asked, her voice quiet and unsure.

Daryl looked at her, locked his eyes on hers so she could see the truth in them. He nodded.

Beth closed her eyes and tears spilled from them and ran down her temples into her hair.

" Hey…" He said quietly, his brow furrowed in concern. His heart was beating fast in his chest now. Had he crossed the line somehow in telling her he loved her? Was it too much too fast?

"Beth?" He asked quietly.

Beth opened her watery eyes and smiled.

"Oh, Daryl!" She cried and she pulled his face to hers, kissing his lips, cheeks, eyes, forehead. He smiled, relief washing over him.

Daryl gently pulled out of Beth's wet warmth and quickly removed the condom, tossing it into a small bin next to one of the nightstands. He laid on his back and Beth scooted next to him, resting her head on his chest, her arm and leg draped across his body. He held her close, ran his hand up and down her spine while she traced the tattoos on his chest with her delicate fingers. After a spell of quiet, he heard her chuckle.

"What?" He asked smiling.

She looked at him. "If I'd've known what I was missing, I would have done that a long time ago." Beth teased. Daryl scoffed humorously. She laughed again and kissed his chest.

They lay together for a while longer before the sounds of voices below pulled them apart.

"We're gonna have to go downstairs before we're missed and have a bunch of questions to answer." Daryl said. Beth sighed.

"I know." She said gloomily. She sat up and reached for the clothes Maggie had brought her which she had placed on the nightstand. She was sore, but in a good, satisfied sort of way. A small smile played on her lips while she pulled on a clean pair of underwear and some blue jeans that were just a little too big. Daryl was lying in bed watching her dress, but she didn't feel self conscious – not anymore. He loved her. He said it. Maybe it was in a moment of passion, but that didn't make it untrue.

Daryl sat up and grabbed the clean jeans he'd dropped on the chest at the end of the bed. He slid them on and stood up. When the light caught Daryl's skin, Beth gasped. Deep, angry scars crisscrossed his back.

Daryl turned around when he heard the gasp and Beth was too late in turning her eyes away. Daryl glanced over his shoulder, realizing what Beth was reacting to and his eyes turned dark.

"He was a mean son of a bitch." Daryl said darkly.

"What… what was it?" Beth stuttered.

Daryl picked up the flannel shirt Glenn had given him and began tearing off the sleeves with a little more force than necessary.

"Belt. Business end usually. Sometimes the dumbass would even heat it up on the stove first, just to be more of an asshole." Daryl said bitterly.

"I'm so sorry." Beth said quietly, her heart twisting in her chest. How could any person be so cruel to a child - to Daryl?

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Daryl shrugged on the now shirtless flannel. He felt pissed, the way he always did when he thought about his old man. But, when he turned at looked at Beth, her eyes were filled with so much hurt for him, he felt his anger disappear.

"It's ok. I'm good. Scars ain't nothing but scars." Daryl said dismissively. Beth nodded, but Daryl could tell she wasn't totally convinced. He leaned over and kissed her briskly.

"C'mon." He said, holding his hand out. "Let's go get some breakfast.

Beth took Daryl's hand and, together, they walked out of the bedroom.


End file.
